When it comes to one day getaways, Bengulureans have plenty of choices. A day trip should mean no more than 150kms one way. The up and down travel time can vary from few hours to 12+ hours. Possible destinations broadly fall into the following categories:
Rocky hills
Bengaluru is surrounded by rocky hills. Some of these are good for trekking/rock climbing while others are just scenic where you can drive in your car. On Bellary Road especially, once you cross the airport, you will find some of these hills very close to highway, tempting you to park the car and start climbing! But do remember these rocky hills are not the Himalayas and hence don’t expect eye-popping sceneries!
My top picks are Nandi, Horsely and Savandurga Hills.
Other options include Yelagiri hills, Skandagiri, Devarayanadurga, Shivagange hills and Antharagange caves.
Water bodies
To enjoy any of these destinations, one needs the blessings of Rain God! Cauvery is not a perennial river and hence dependent upon rains. Additionally, upstream dams have significantly reduced the water flow. Hence just after a good monsoon is an ideal time to visit these places. KRS Dam and the adjoining Brindavan gardens should be visited in the evenings to witness the lighting.
My top picks are Hoganekkal, Shivanasamudra falls and KRS Dam(+ Brindavan gardens).
Other options include Mekedatu, Muthyala Maduvu(Pearl Valley), Balamuri falls, Bheemeshwari and Chunchunakatte falls.
Historical
Lepakshi finds a place in the Ramayana(Jatayu is believed to have fallen here after its wings were cut off by Raavan) and has shrines built during Vijayanagar empire. Srirangapatnam was Tipu’s capital and the monuments here have the UNESCO heritage tag. Both Somnathpur and Talakadu are famous for historic temples. Mysore deserves more than a day but you can still see a fair bit in a day.
My top picks are Mysore, Srirangapatnam and Lepakshi.
Other options include Somnathpur, Talakadu.
Sanctuaries
The 3 famous ones are Bannerghatta National Park, Ranganathittu and Kokkare Bellur bird sanctuaries. All 3 are worth visiting but Kokkare Bellur has only painted storks/Pelicans. Visit to bird sanctuaries should be planned during specific seasons.
Religious/Pilgrimage
Kotilingeshwara literally means 10 million lingas, there is also a 108 feet Shivalinga. Sravanabelagola has a 58 feet high monolithic statue of Gomateshwara. Kolar has several temples while Kadiri is famous for Lakshmi Narasimha temple.
For a casual visitor, I would pick Kotilingeshwara temple and Shravanabelagola.
Other options are Ghati Subramanya and Puttaparthi.
Culture/others
Options include Innovative Film City, Wonderla amusement park, Nrityagram (to view dance classes/rehearsals), Wine Tour(select months only), Janapada Loka(for Karnataka village folk arts) and Big Banyan tree. Nrityagram, Wine Tour and Janapada Loka will probably not be of interest to all. Big Banyan tree does not take much time and hence combine with another destination, perhaps driving onward to Manchinabele dam.
The only unfortunate part is that you may not find decent restaurants and clean rest rooms at all destinations! Good thing is roads are decent and the drive generally quite comfortable. Places like Mysore would normally require an overnight stay.
Combining trips
Some of the destinations may not require too much time and hence 2 or more destinations can actually be combined to make a full day trip.
Food
For decent food, Mysore Road has the best and most number of options. Rest of the roads leading out Bengaluru – Old Madras Road, Hosur Road, Bellary/Hyderabad road, Kanakapura Road and Tumkur Road have fewer options.
Budget for extra traffic on holidays
Driving holidays have become quite popular for Bengulureans. On weekends and especially extended holidays, there is fair bit of traffic moving out of Bengaluru. Do budget for additional time at the toll gates, and pray there that no vehicles, in particular heavy vehicles, break down on the route that you are taking out of Bengaluru.
Top picks for a family with young kids
While a shortlist is always much harder to make than a long list, here is my top 6 picks for a family with young kids:
- Innovative Film City
- Wonderla Amusement Park
- Bannerghatta National Park
- Hogannekal Falls
- Shivanasamudra Falls
- Savandurga for few adventure activities
For the rest, I would assume it is more about getting away and hence any of the destinations should be fine!
I will write separate posts on some of the above destinations. Click the links below.
